The 2019 Barolos are beginning to arrive in retail shops and restaurants in the United States. I tasted dozens of 2019s from barrel during my April 2022 trip to Piedmont, and again when I returned this past March, after the wines had been bottled. I've also now reviewed a few dozen of them in my official blind tastings, and so far all have earned outstanding if not classic scores.
From barrel, the nascent Barolos were austere and tannic, with assertive acidity. A year later, they're beginning to take shape, revealing fine balance between the fruit and savory components, texture, acidity, tannins and alcohol. There's tension, and still some youthful austerity, but there's also plenty of site-specific expression and long-term aging potential.
Growers are calling 2019 a classic vintage in terms of the growing season, primarily based on the delayed start and mid-October harvest, patterns not seen in the three vintages that preceded 2019, nor in the years that have followed it.
Winter was drier than normal, but there was plenty of rain in April, May, July and September. There was no spring frost. Rain during the flowering in May reduced the crop by 15 to 30 percent. A few growers reported that the heat spikes at the end of June and July caused the vines to stop photosynthesis, and there were some sunburned berries. But there was adequate water for the vines in the end, and the temperatures cooled in August. September witnessed warm days and cool nights, perfect for developing aromas and accumulating both sugars and ripe tannins—more hallmarks of a classic vintage.
In the end, phenolic ripeness was ideal or close to it for most growers, resulting in excellent balance.
Overall, 2019 was a cooler year, “a mix of power and freshness,” says Elvio Cogno owner and winemaker Valter Fissore. From 2015 to 2022, only 2018 was cooler and wetter.
Nicola Oberto of Trediberri attributes the vintage’s strong tannins to the alternating patterns of heat followed by cool temperatures and rain. Nonetheless, it’s the tannic structure of these young Barolos, along with bright acidity and beautifully defined fruit, that will allow them to age.
Many producers reported that the extraction was easy, and some, like Elisa Scavino of Paolo Scavino, shortened the process by about 10 days, while others, like Alfio Cavallotto, increased his macerations by 10 days. The wines benefited from their time in oak, gaining equilibrium and expression.
Oscar Arrivabene, general manager and winemaker at Domenico Clerico, describes 2019 as a cool year, with enough rain at the right times, but he says the vines didn’t always respond. “It was hard to get full ripening of polyphenols,” he explained. “Nonetheless, it’s a classic vintage, with a balanced and ideal expression of Barolo.”
“2019 is most similar with 2016,” beams Renato Ratti proprietor Pietro Ratti. “It has good acidity, very classic. We like that precision.”
Alan Manley started his own winery, Margherita Otto, in 2015, following more than a decade working with Luciano Sandrone, Maria Teresa Mascarello, Elio Altare, Cavalotto and Marco Marengo. He feels 2019 is even better than the classic-rated 2016 vintage. “2019 was an excellent year, with quality across the board,” says Manley. “As a vintage, in terms of overall quality, I consider it the equal of 2008 and 2013, all a bit better than the 2016.”
The 2019s are certainly the best young Barolos I've tasted since the 2016s, and if you are a fan of the wines, it’s wise to buy your favorites early. That said, 2020 and especially 2021 are also potentially superb (although prices are almost certain to increase for those newer vintages).
“[2019 is] very classic, a vintage that arrives at the right time,” says Ratti. “When the 2016s were released, we were in the pandemic, so the restaurants [weren't able to buy those wines]. 2019 is a vintage that restaurants can keep for a long time. It’s a great trio—2019, ’20 and ’21.”
